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XCOMUFO & Xenocide

Security Stations


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from what i understand they work, but they do not work very well, so you'd be much better off playing real time if you want to use security stations
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  • 4 weeks later...

From personal experience, the only real difference the advanced station has over the plasma station is the gun placement. This makes the advanced module better suited for some corridor layouts than the plasma station. I personally prefer the gun placement for the plasma turrets myself.

 

Oh, then there's the fact that the advanced station is double the cost - but that's a non-issue by the time you get them.

 

The guns in the plasma station are very tough. Even I had to help the attackers by attacking the guns. I couldn't cut them down fast enough with the most powerful single-target-non-explosive weapon in the game.

 

And before anyone asks, I was running a test to see if additional guns (beyond the first 12 active guns) would activate after the previous ones were destroyed. I've never been able to complete this test. It's kind of amazing since I distinctly remember enemies easily breaching my security stations on easier difficulty levels. Ah well - there's the random number generator for you.

 

- NKF

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Don't take my word for it. The best way to find out for sure would be to just build some and see how they work out for you.

 

In my games, I've always had the best results with the plasma stations, and less than favourable results with the advanced stations.

 

Or just use both - if you can afford them. There really is no right or wrong way to go with them as long as they are set up right.

 

- NKF

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stupid bad guys never attack my base :(

 

but yeah, NKF, is there anyway to check and see what the damage difference is? The one thing the that an advanced secruity station would need is a slightly upgrade weapon and a shielded sniper level. Thats all i want

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I do the same, but you're still subject to enemy organization raids if the random encounter dice foolishly decides to roll a base attack event. Luckily, enemy alien tech levels stop just before the really juicy equipment, so they're push overs with the plasma modules even when armed with shields.

 

As for the damage, I'm sure the values can be found in the game files. Somewhere. It's only a matter of time. I imagine they may be more powerful and more accurate than the plasma modules, and probably even more durable. But again, from actual use, I've never been terribly impresed by them.

 

In any event, it's always a good idea to get a team of soldiers to hang along the sidelines of the security modules so that the guns don't hog all the experience (which they don't keep). You also don't want the raiders to get too lucky.

 

- NKF

Edited by NKF
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well, what i usually do is have my scientists either run out of the base or lay down on the sniper level of the towers, and then have my teams kill off the invaders. They aren't too terribly smart and like to march forward, no matter how many bodies are there
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I built a secondary base and it looks like this

 

S- C- H- H-H- H

C -A- H- H-H- H

C -P- C- C-C-C

L - L -L -L- C- C

W-W-W-W-W-W

W-W-W-W-W-W

 

S: stores

H: hangar

A: lift

C: corridor

P: plasma security station

L: living quarters

W: advanced workshops

 

I'm thinking of adding 2 more defenses (because I read that more than 3 is a waste, right?). Should I go with advanced security stations or not? Should I add them right next to the existing one or leave 1 corridor space free between them? Are aliens attracted to security stations or do they avoid them?

I should probably have made this base an 8 hangar base with a living quarters in the upper left corner for the droid guards, protected by a security station on either side and built the 4 workshops (I heard you can only have 50 engineers, is that true?) on one of the easily defendable bases (a third base), as I already demolished the hangar in my first base to make room. I was thinking of trying a no shields tactic with heavy vehicles (perhaps 1 heavy vehicle stuffed with shields so I don't lose them) to save them for hovercars, but I guess 8 hangars is overkill. You kill the alien dimension fleet soon enough as it is. I'm hoping 2 hangars is enough.

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OK what the heck! What kind of brain dead routine picks the units for base attacks?!

I did a test to see how security stations work and for some reason it didn't pick all my soldiers in a base. Oh no it was scientists first for some stupid reason. What's up? Can I fix that? Even with an editor?

In other news I wasn't really amazed by the firepower of the advanced security station, but their survivabilty was pretty great. In the end they defeated the evil hordes of mad nurses and crazy doctors (sanctuary clinic) on their own, with no losses. But they only used disruptor guns and autocannons as far as I could see.

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I'm with you on the ridiculous unit selection. It might depend on the order of the units in the save game unit list (they're all mushed together - only their jobs differ). You're at least guaranteed to have at least one soldier per squad (minus 6 slots from the 36 total slots - probably for the security stations)

 

The best way to avoid this is to reduce the number of techs in your base by moving their facilities to another. Getting the engineers to move out can work.

 

---

 

By the way, when you say you've got hangars in your base sketch:

S- C- H- H-H- H

C -A- H- H-H- H

C -P- C- C-C-C

L - L -L -L- C- C

W-W-W-W-W-W

W-W-W-W-W-W

 

 

Do you really mean the repair bay? You only really need 1 for the entire city - but I'll wait for you to clarify. It's just that the less repair bays you have around the city, the more you can cluster the security station around the grav-lift.

 

Speaking of the defence modules - certainly build more than 3. Though not all the guns can be active at the same time (still need to find out if more guns activate when active guns are destroyed), they will still provide highly durable decoys for the enemies to cut through. I would recommend surrounding your access lift or chopping your base in half and have the access lift and repair bay on one side and the rest at another and have them separated with a cluster of defence modules. Pick a base with a good layout that you can use to force enemies through a small area, and you're all set. One good example is the base layout shaped like an 8. The grav lift is in the middle, so all you need to do is place 4 to 6 security stations along either corridor that leads into the base, and you've stopped any access into the base through the lift.

 

P.S: The rent-a-cops will eventually get access to shields, cloaks and devestators. It makes them more formidable, but nothing a few well placed stations cannot handle.

 

- NKF

Edited by NKF
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I'm adamant on keeping all research (15 bio, 20 physics) to base 1, but I can relocate engineers I guess. I have 2 small and 1 big lab, 20 engineers in base 1 and 3 big labs in base 2, another 30 engineers. I heard the max you can have is 50. I'm currently at around 30 so far and buying more every day.

Perhaps I can demolish the manufacturing labs in base 1 and go for a new base 3. I'll wait till its ready ofcourse. Money is short right now, but since I just equiped my agents with toxiguns the alien milking will be much easier from now on, if you know what I mean.

I like the 8 shape, and also the other weird shape you can cut off the lift totally with just one station.

In the end this is all rather academic as I never get my bases attacked. I wonder why... :-p

 

About the repair bay, I was thinking of going for a no shield heavy fleet (save small shields for hovercars*) and I thought that the amount of repairs would be huge. I also thought of using 1 base for the repairs and instead of cutting of the lift and other intruder access points, to put the living quarters facility in a corner and surround it with 3 security stations.

*Perhaps also a big craft filled with shields and no other equipment to ensure the shields survive. If you put 1 in each craft (other than nimble hovercars) you're sure to lose it in any big engagement.

 

In the end, why bother so much. Let me just finish this game so I can start the new purist game on superhuman...

Edited by komninosm
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